2014 BMW 740Ld xDrive a Diesel Flagship for ‘Murica

Get AutoGuide.com in your Inbox

Like AutoGuide.com on Facebook

BMW LITERALLY made a BIG reveal right here at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2015 740Ld xDrive is a long-wheelbase version of the brand’s already gargantuan 7 Series flagship, but with a twist. It features all-wheel drive and a diesel engine.

This is the Bavarian brand’s latest model to receive a compression-ignition powerplant, on this side of the Atlantic at least. Of course oil burners are available in various 3 Series models, the Fünfer Rehie as well as the X5 “Sports Activity Vehicle.”

And that engine is what really matters here, because let’s be honest, there’s not a whole lot to talk about with this car. It’s the same 7 Series we’ve known for a number of years now. It’s tastefully designed if a tad boring, and it pampers passengers in obscene opulence. You could say it’s the Ultimate Coddling Machine.

Back to what matters. The 740Ld xDrive is motivated by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel. It features an aluminum block and cylinder head for mass reduction as well as a single turbocharger with a variable vane turbine, something that eliminates the need for a wastegate. Fuel is sprayed directly into the half-dozen combustion chambers at EXTREMELY high pressure – more than 26,000 pounds per square inch!

All told it cranks out 255 HP at 4,000 revolutions per minute and 413 LB-FT of torque from just 1,500 all the way up to 3,000 RPM. Maximizing fuel economy the engine is matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. All of that fancy hardware should catapult the car from zero to 60 miles an hour in a totally respectable 6.1 seconds.

Fuel economy figures are not available at this time but the 2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive should be 25 to 30 percent more efficient that its direct gasoline-powered counterpart. Now, according to the U.S. EPA the 740Li xDrive averages 22 miles per gallon. Crunching the numbers this diesel version should be roughly 5.5 to 6.5 MPG better. Base MSRP for this car is $83,425, including $925 in destination fees. Look for it at BMW dealerships this spring.